Burial-casket.



No. 696,439. Patented Apr. l, |902.

C. H. HISER.

BURlAL GASKET.

(Applition lad Aug. 26, 1901.)

(In Model.)

WITNESSES we Nnms areas an.. PHoYauTno.. wAsHmaroN. n, c.

Unirse `Strains anni Ottieni.

CHARLES II. IIISER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPRING- FIELDMETALLIC CASKET COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OIIIO.

BURlALmC/SKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,439, dated April 1,1902.

Application filed August 26, 1901. Serial No. 73.258. (No model.)

To @ZZ wwnt t nur/y concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES Il. I-IIsEn, a citizen of the UnitedStates,resid ing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBurial-Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to burial-Gaskets, and more especially to theconstruction of a casket that may be opened at the top and side torepresent a seat or couch.

It is my purpose to make a casket such that when in its open position itwill have the appearance of an attractive piece of furniture, and withthat end in viewI construct it more especially to resemble or representa seat or couch having a high back and ends, widely and favorably knownas a davenport.

My invention consists in the construction and combinations of partshereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a casketembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of same. Fig. 3 is anoutside end View. Fig. 4 is an interior view of the end. Fig. 5 is adetail, partly in section, showinghinge of top piece attached to thefixed side of the casket. Fig. 6 is a detail showing hinge with shoulderfor the top piece attached to the hinged side of the casket, and Fig. 7is a modification of same.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views.

In constructing my casket I employ a main frame having the base a', withone side a2 rigidly attached to said base and the other side made in twoparts a3 and a4, the part a3 being rigidly attached to the base andforming a part thereof and the part a4 being hinged to the part a3 ata5. The ends ZJ are rigidly attached to the base a and the sides a2 anda3 and are formed in their upper portions to conform with the top, whichforms the cover for the casket between the ends. The cover consists ofthe two top pieces c and c2 and the lid c3, which may be attached to thetop pieces in any well-known manner, and said coverrests on theprojection 1) of the ends of the casket when the casket is in its closedposition, as shown in Fig. 2.

To open the casket to represent a davenport, the lid c3 is removed andthe top piece c', which is hinged to the side a2 by the pin a, is thrownback, forming the head-rest of the davenport, the hinged part of saidtop piece c being pivoted slightly eccentric, so that when open it willtighten against the adjacent side, so as to be held in position, asshown in Fig. 4, and the top piece c2, which is hinged to the lugs al ofthe side a4, is thrown open, and said side a4 being hinged at a5 saidtop piece c2 and the side a4 are swung to the position shown in Fig. it,forming the lower front of the davenport. The top piece c2 is ofsufficient length to extend between the ends of the casket and isrecessed at each end, so that the lugs a7 come 'iush with the ends ofsaid top piece, and when the casket is closed said top piece will bebetween the respective ends ot' the casket, and the side a4 being thefull outside length of the casket will extend between the projection b2of each end and the part a3, thus giving a firm construction towithstand the lift on the handle-bars d, and the shoulder a8 (see Fig.6) engages and holds said top piece in position when the casket is open.

It is obvious that the engagement of the side a4 with the projectionsZ22 of the ends may be reversed by putting the projections on the sideand adapting them to engage the ends.

Having thus described my invention, I claim'- l. A casket having fixedends and verti cally-straight sides, the ends having projections thereonto support the cover iiush with the tops of said ends, a cover adaptedto rest on said projections, consistingin part of a removable lid and inpart of movable pieces hinged to each of the straight sides, in theirnormal position projecting upwardly and inwardly, ending under theremovable lid and forming additional supports therefor, one of saidstraight sides being rigid with the end pieces, the other with itsmovable top piece being hinged so as to turn down and thus expose theside of the casket and form, with the main body of the casket, a seat orcouch, as described.

2. In a casket, a main casket-body,| formed of the bottom, ends andvertically-straight sides, the bottom, ends, and one side being IOOrigid, cover-supports on each end adapted to allow said ends to projectupwardly and stand flush with the top of the cover, the cover properConsisting of a removable lid and two hinged pieces attached to thesides, one of said sides being hinged to the main body and adapted, whenthelid is removed, to turn with.

its hinged top piece to form with the main body, a seat-front, while theotheil top piece is turned back in imitation of a head-rest, the ends ofthe' casket forming the arms of a seat or couch, as set forth.

3. In a couch-casket, the combination with the base and respective endsof said casket, said ends having projections thereon at the side of saidcasket, of a hinged side with handle-bars thereon, said side, when inits closed my hand this 20th day of August, A. D. 1991. 3o

CHARLES II. I-IISER. Vitnesses:

PERCY NORTON, CHAs. I. WELCH.

